◄ Jeremiah 20:4 ►
For this is what the LORD says: 'I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. And I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword.
Study Bible
For this is what the LORD says:
This phrase introduces a direct message from God, emphasizing the authority and certainty of the prophecy. In the context of Jeremiah, the prophet often relays God's words to the people of Judah, warning them of impending judgment due to their disobedience and idolatry. This underscores the role of prophets as God's mouthpieces.

I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends:
This statement is directed at Pashhur, a priest and chief officer in the temple, who had persecuted Jeremiah. The phrase indicates a reversal of fortune, where Pashhur, who sought to instill fear in Jeremiah, will himself become a source of terror. This reflects the biblical principle of reaping what one sows (Galatians 6:7) and highlights the personal consequences of opposing God's message.

They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes:
This prophecy foretells the violent death of Pashhur's associates, emphasizing the immediacy and personal nature of the judgment. The "sword" is a common biblical symbol of war and divine judgment. Historically, this aligns with the Babylonian invasions, where many in Judah were killed or taken captive.

And I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon:
This phrase predicts the Babylonian exile, a pivotal event in Jewish history. The handing over of Judah signifies God's judgment on the nation for its persistent sin. The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, is used as an instrument of God's wrath, fulfilling earlier prophecies about Judah's downfall (2 Kings 24:10-16).

and he will carry them away to Babylon and put them to the sword:
This describes the dual fate of the people of Judah: exile and death. The Babylonian captivity was a period of great suffering and loss for the Jewish people, yet it also served as a time of purification and eventual restoration. Theologically, this reflects the theme of judgment leading to redemption, a pattern seen throughout Scripture and ultimately fulfilled in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of judgment and hope to the people of Judah. He faced significant opposition and persecution for his prophecies.

2. Pashhur
A priest and chief officer in the temple who opposed Jeremiah and had him beaten and put in stocks. This verse is part of Jeremiah's response to Pashhur.

3. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was facing impending judgment due to its disobedience and idolatry.

4. Babylon
The empire that God used as an instrument of judgment against Judah. Babylon was known for its military might and conquest.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is just and righteous, delivering both judgment and mercy according to His divine will.
Teaching Points
The Certainty of God's Judgment
God's pronouncements through His prophets are certain and will come to pass. This should instill a reverent fear of the Lord and a commitment to obedience.

The Consequences of Disobedience
Judah's fate serves as a warning of the severe consequences of turning away from God. It calls believers to examine their own lives for areas of disobedience.

God's Sovereignty in World Events
The use of Babylon as an instrument of judgment highlights God's control over nations and history. Believers can trust in God's sovereignty even amidst global turmoil.

The Role of the Prophet
Jeremiah's faithfulness in delivering God's message despite opposition is a model for believers to stand firm in truth, regardless of societal pressures.

Hope Beyond Judgment
While this verse focuses on judgment, the broader account of Jeremiah includes promises of restoration, reminding believers of God's redemptive purposes.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the prophecy in Jeremiah 20:4 reflect the character of God as both just and merciful?

2. In what ways can the account of Judah's judgment serve as a warning for contemporary believers and the church today?

3. How does understanding the historical context of Babylon's role in Judah's judgment enhance our comprehension of God's sovereignty?

4. What can we learn from Jeremiah's response to opposition that can be applied to standing for truth in today's world?

5. How do the themes of judgment and hope in Jeremiah's prophecies encourage us to trust in God's ultimate plan for redemption?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 25:9
This verse also speaks of Babylon as God's instrument of judgment, reinforcing the message of Jeremiah 20:4.

2 Kings 24:14
Describes the exile of Judah to Babylon, fulfilling the prophecy given in Jeremiah 20:4.

Isaiah 39:6-7
Foretells the Babylonian captivity, showing the consistency of God's message through different prophets.

Lamentations 1:5
Reflects on the consequences of Judah's sin and the fulfillment of the prophecies of judgment.
Sermons
A Changed Name and a Dreadful DoomD. Young Jeremiah 20:1-6
Magor-Missabib; Or, the Fate of a False ProphetA.F. Muir Jeremiah 20:3-6
People
Benjamin, Immer, Jeremiah, Magormissabib, Pashur
Places
Babylon, Benjamin Gate, Topheth
Topics
Babylon, Behold, Beholding, Captive, Carry, Cause, Death, Enemies, Exiles, Fall, Fallen, Fear, Friends, Hands, Haters, Judah, Kill, Loving, Making, Prisoners, Removed, Says, Slay, Smite, Smitten, Sword, Terror, Thus, Thyself
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 20:3-6

     5044   names, giving of

Jeremiah 20:4-6

     4215   Babylon
     5305   empires

Library
The Revelation to which the Scripture of the Old Testament Owes Its Existence.
"O Lord, . . . Thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed."--Jer. xx. 7. The understanding of the Holy Spirit's work in Scripture requires us to distinguish the preparation, and the formation that was the outcome of the preparation. We will discuss these two separately. The Holy Spirit prepared for Scripture by the operations which from Paradise to Patmos supernaturally apprehended the sinful life of this world, and thus raised up believing men who formed the developing Church. This will seem very …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Revelation of the Old Testament in Writing.
"Then I said, I will not speak any more in His Name. But His word was in my heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones: and I was weary with forbearing, but I could not."--Jer. xx. 9. Altho the miracles performed for and in the midst of Israel created a glorious life-center in the midst of the heathen world, yet they did not constitute a Holy Scripture; for this can not be created except God speak to man, even to His people Israel. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

One Thing is Needful;
or, SERIOUS MEDITATIONS UPON THE FOUR LAST THINGS: DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN, AND HELL UNTO WHICH IS ADDED EBAL AND GERIZZIM, OR THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE, by John Bunyan. London: Printed for Nath. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688.[1] ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. According to Charles Doe, in that curious sheet called The Struggler for the Preservation of Mr. John Bunyan's Labours, these poems were published about the year 1664, while the author was suffering imprisonment for conscience …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Hindrances to Mourning
What shall we do to get our heart into this mourning frame? Do two things. Take heed of those things which will stop these channels of mourning; put yourselves upon the use of all means that will help forward holy mourning. Take heed of those things which will stop the current of tears. There are nine hindrances of mourning. 1 The love of sin. The love of sin is like a stone in the pipe which hinders the current of water. The love of sin makes sin taste sweet and this sweetness in sin bewitches the …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

Meditations for the Morning.
1. Almighty God can, in the resurrection, as easily raise up thy body out of the grave, from the sleep of death, as he hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed, out of the sleep of nature. At the dawning of which resurrection day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints; and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his saints, being fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall shine as bright as the sun (2 Thess. i. 10; Jude, ver. 14; Phil. iii. 21; Luke ix. 31;) all the angels shining …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16. THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil. It has a prohibitory and a mandatory part: the first is set down in plain words, the other …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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